1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a thermoelectric generator, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric generator of a vehicle that generates power by using heat of exhaust gas of the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
A thermoelectric element refers to an element using a thermoelectric phenomenon in which a difference in temperature between both ends of the element is converted into electricity to convert thermal energy into electric energy or the difference in temperature between both ends of the element is caused by making electricity flow on the element to convert the electric energy into the thermal energy. The thermoelectric element is used in a small-scale cooling device, a small-scale heating device, or a small-scale power generating device.
The thermoelectric element used in the small-scale power generating device is called a thermoelectric generating device or a thermoelectric generator. The thermoelectric generator is primarily used in a power supply device of a radio communicator, a power supply device of a spaceship, a power supply device of a nuclear-powered submarine, and a thermoelectric generator installed in an exhaust system of a vehicle.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a thermoelectric generator of a vehicle.
As illustrated in the figure, a thermoelectric generator 10 installed in the exhaust system of the vehicle includes a hexagonal exhaust heat recovering device 40 through which high-temperature exhaust gas passes, a cooling device 30 installed outside the exhaust heat recovering device 40, through which cooling water passes therein, and a plurality of thermoelectric modules 20 generating electricity by a difference in temperature between both ends by contacting the outside of the exhaust heat recovering device 40 and the inside of the cooling device 30.
The thermal energy is transferred to the thermoelectric module 20 while the high-temperature exhaust gas flows in the exhaust heat recovering device 40. A cooling pipe 32 in which the cooling water flows is formed in the cooling device 30 to increase a difference in temperature between the inside of the thermoelectric module 20 contacting the exhaust heat recovering device 40 and the outside of the thermoelectric module 20 contacting the cooling device 30. As such, efficiency of the thermoelectric generator installed in the exhaust system of the vehicle is increased by increasing the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside of the thermoelectric module 20.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.